Skip to content

the Blackout report

What happens when there is no power?

ERCOT Publishes Preliminary Report Into Causes Of Texas Blackout

Posted on April 8, 2021April 8, 2021 By Chris Owens No Comments on ERCOT Publishes Preliminary Report Into Causes Of Texas Blackout
Power Insights, Power News

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) admits more than half of the power outages that plagued the state during February’s storms were because generation plants simply couldn’t cope with the freezing weather.

The revelation from ERCOT, which manages the flow of electricity throughout the state, came in its preliminary report filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Back in February, a record-breaking cold snap battered much of the central USA as temperatures plummeted to -18oC. The storm tragically caused 125 deaths and left millions of Americans without electricity.

The arctic blast knocked several gas-fired generation plants offline, leading to ERCOT initiating load-shedding and rolling blackouts in an attempt to get a grip of the situation.

What Does The ERCOT Report Say?

According to the 9-page submission, some 51,000 MW of generation (more than half the system’s capacity) were offline at the peak of the power problems on 16 February. For sheer scale of the disruption, 1 MW of electricity typically powers around 200 houses.

The majority of generator outages (54%) stemmed from what were described as “weather-related” issues at the plants.

“This includes but is not limited to frozen equipment – including frozen sensing lines, frozen water lines, and frozen valves – ice accumulation on wind turbine blades, ice or snow cover on solar panels, exceedances of low temperature limits for wind turbines, and flooded equipment to due snow or ice melt.”

– Excerpt from ERCOT’s preliminary report to the Public Utility Commission of Texas

Other blackout causes were defined as scheduled shutdowns (15%), equipment failure (14%), fuel limitations such as a lack of natural gas (12%), transmission loss (2%), frequency-related loss (2%), and miscellaneous (1%).

However, ERCOT’s report didn’t provide a breakdown of which generators or energy storage resources experienced which types of problem.

More pertinently, it provided little in the way of explanation for why the power plants were unable to cope with such extreme weather. It also offered no recommendations on how to avert similar incidents in the future.

Failure To Learn The Lessons Of Previous Power Outages?

In the aftermath of another storm that caused similar blackouts in 2011, power plants were advised to put in place measures to mitigate against the impact of harsh weather.

But many operators ignored the recommendations as they weren’t legally required to implement any contingency.

New legislation designed to overhaul Texas’s power grid has already been voted through the state Senate and is set for debate in the House. It includes the authority to fine electricity and gas companies up to $1 million per day for failing to “winterize appropriately”.

In its letter to the Public Utility Commission alongside its preliminary report, ERCOT predicts it will provide its final findings by the end of August.

Tags: Electric Reliability Council of Texas ERCOT onshore wind power generation Public Utility Commission of Texas severe weather snow storm Texas Texas Blackout February 2021 United States wind wind farm

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: National Grid ESO Publishes Innovation Strategy 2021-22
Next Post: National Grid ESO’s Summer Outlook 2021 – COVID-19 Still A Challenge ❯

You may also like

flag of kenya next to an electricity pylon
Power News
Trio Of Transmission Line Failures Causes Kenya Power Cut
January 14, 2022
Power News
National Grid Launches Dynamic Containment Frequency Balancing Scheme
September 29, 2020
electricity transmission pylons in a field covered by snow
Power News
Winter Outlook 2022-23: Power Cuts On The Way?
October 7, 2022
panoramic of Callide Power Station Queensland Australia
Power News
Queensland Power Plant Explosion Causes “Historic” Outage
May 27, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the blackout report

Latest Comments

  1. Tiago on Is The UK Prepared For A Widescale Power Cut? Rating The RiskMay 2, 2025

    Towards what happened in Portugal and Spain last Monday, I’m reading every line you wrote about it. Apparently we suffered…

  2. ‘Unforced Error’: Energy Experts Say ‘Rush To Renewables’ Helped Trip The Switch On Spain’s Grid Crash – Victory MAGA on Biggest Blackouts In History: Italy 2003May 1, 2025

    […] the most significant power outages in European history and is the largest in the region since a 2003 blackout…

  3. ‘Unforced Error’: Energy Experts Say ‘Rush To Renewables’ Helped Trip The Switch On Spain’s Grid Crash – Feeds by OffthePress on Biggest Blackouts In History: Italy 2003May 1, 2025

    […] the most significant power outages in European history and is the largest in the region since a 2003 blackout…

  4. El precedente más cercano al gran apagón de España lo vivió Italia en 2003. Y también se inició en la red interconectada - Tercera Información - Tercera Información on Biggest Blackouts In History: Italy 2003April 30, 2025

    […] día que Italia se quedó a oscuras. El 28 de septiembre de 2003, prácticamente la totalidad de los italianos (57 millones de…

  5. A energia é restaurada na Espanha e Portugal. Mas a causa da interrupção permanece um mistério - Manolada da Força on Biggest Blackouts In History: Italy 2003April 29, 2025

    […] uma das quedas de energia mais significativas na história da Europa e a maior desde Um blecaute atingiu a…

the Blackout report

Get Your Free Report!

Download Now

Tags

9 August 2019 Blackout battery storage Biggest Blackouts in History coronavirus Covid-19 cyberattack cybersecurity distributed energy Distribution Network Operator DNO E3C electricity network electric vehicles Energy Emergencies Executive Committee energy storage Fintan Slye frequency response grid frequency hacking hurricane inertia LFDD lightning load shedding Low Frequency Demand Disconnection malware National Grid National Grid ESO net zero offshore wind Ofgem onshore wind power generation ransomware renewable energy severe weather smart grid solar power storm substation transmission line Ukraine wind wind farm zero carbon

Copyright © 2025 the Blackout report.

Theme: Oceanly News Dark by ScriptsTown